Detroit, MI - HDTV - Page 358

Hey guys, had a quick question I was hoping someone from the South Lyon / Northville area could help answer, when I did the antennaweb thing it showed stuff in all directions about 20-30 mile radius for most.

I live right off 8 mile and pontiac trail area (fringe area considered northville address but moreso south lyon in terms of dots on the map).

I don't want to mess around with a rotor and stuff so thought two options, get a directional and point towards the southfield area to get as much as i can or get a omnidirectional and see what all i can pull in from all angles.

From what I read the omnidirectional units aren't the greatest tho, I was thinking of these two units

Winegard 2000 omnidirectional
or
Winegard HD1080 and just point it towards general southfield area

I was thinking about a DB8 but was told by a antenna rep online that the detroit signals are mostly high VHF so the DB8 might not be my best choice (I am not super savy on that stuff but is that accurate?), for now whatever I get will be indoors till the weather clears despite wife protests, it will be temporary till spring so she will have to deal with it.

Just on the fence on what to get (omni or directional), and not sure if i do go with something like the HD1080 if i would need or want an amp with that (closest station on antennaweb shows about 20 miles a few fringe in that area about 35-40 miles.)

Thanks for any help from anyone local or near me that might have some real experience input.

Bill

Go to TV Fool instead and post a link here.


No. All Detroit area DTV stations (including 2 in Windsor) are UHF except WJBK-DT FOX on VHF 7, and CBET-DT CBC on VHF 9. See the first post of this topic for a list of the 'Digital' channel numbers in parenthesis.

As for what antenna will work for you, it will be difficult to tell about an omnidirectional without trying it. Directional antennas are much more predictable. When you check the first post, keep in mind that in the next few weeks all of the Detroit HD stations will be located in the Southfield (one exception, channel 18, in the same general direction from you as Windsor) and the Windsor stations are just south of there. A large directional VHF/UHF antenna with wide beam reception may be able to get everything without a rotor.

I'd think it's unlikely an omnidirectional will get other stations from north or west of you.

Sounds like i might just do best to use a directional pointed towards Southfield area vs trying to be greedy to get more with an omnidirectional and possibly sacrificing the main stuff from southfield.

I went to tvfool.com and put in my address this was the signal analysis it gave me

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...ec124ef5fcf756
(hope i did that right link wise etc)

Sure does show a lot of UHF stuff at bottom with a good deal of high VHF too.

based on that link does it help to determine what might work best for me?

My goal come spring is to mount it on my roof with a mast (approx 25 feet from ground level) nothing large or obstructive around me except trees a few blocks away. I know whatever I do it will look dumb indoors but it will be mounted up in an arch of my family room by a skykight until the ground and roof are dry enough to put it up without killing myself

Also whatever i get should i put a preamplifier on it for more strength to pull these in on bad weather days or am I just not getting what a preamp does properly?


dunno if its allowed (no endorsements never ordered nor do i know them personally) this place is just 5 mins from me so i can pick up in person vs shipping, but here are some choices they offer
http://www.solidsignal.com/cview.asp...=TV%20Antennas

Wasnt sure if i wanted multidirecitonal or directional then wasnt sure if i wanted amplified or non amplified

Bill

Looks like CBC HD will now be 2012.

I can't imagine what the holdup is. Bandwidth?

FTLOSM

You won't be the first of us to mount an antenna in a living space, that's for sure.

The basic idea behind a preamp - in a nutshell - is to help whatever signal reaches your antenna make the trip to your television. It won't make anything that hits your antenna any better, but it will help compensate for the loss of a long cable run, splitters, etc. Count on having one.

I'm not terribly far from you and while pointing a nice combo in the general direction of Southfield would get you all the Detroit stations, you're close enough to get greedy and have a little fun with Lansing and Toledo. Though "fun" is about all it is. For the most part, they don't have PQ as good as the Detroit HDs and they rarely have anything different.

I have found the Toledo affiliates to be rather handy on Saturdays as the ABC affil often has a different game from WXYZ and quite often runs yet another SEC game on their subchannel during football season. Haven't checked during Basketball season. Sometimes, the NFL games are different when Cleveland is playing. And having Toledo available has been a life-saver on those nights when a Detroit station pre-empts network programming for some other reason or Severe Weather coverage wrecks my viewing pleasure.

Of course, I'm a geek. I've got an 8-foot UHF yagi with a High VHF antenna mounted below it. On my second rotor. For me, being able to get four ABC affiliates is just fun.

I agree with DrDon, if you can setup your rig to receive the Toledo, OH stations along with both the Detroit, MI and Windsor, ON stations, you will probably be happier. Having a back-up channel or two for most shows is preferential and sometimes there is unique regional programming (typically with sports).

Just dropped in to say I'm really loving the addition of TVO and CBET to my OTA lineup. The programming and picture quality make me feel like I'll never have to subscribe to Pay TV again. I was initially seeing picture quality issues with CBET but I don't see them anymore, and in particular the live sports broadcasts really pop.

FYI tonight's Jets @ Wings game is being aired on CBET.

boo...

After Comcast gets CBC HD up and running in Detroit, is there any chance that other Comcast systems that carry CBET (Lansing, for example) will get upgraded to HD? Also, on a related note, is there anything that prevents Charter systems in the state that carry CBMT out of Montreal from carrying the HD signal from that station?

Good question, I'd say may be. Let me ask.


Maybe technical issues? It may depend on how Charter gets it.

Getting Vancouver @ Ottawa from CBET-DT & Comcast SD channel 99.

what is the point of eliminating the premium HD?...did they add on TOO many of those and didn't get the subscriber bump to justify it?

What's your thoughts Ken?

What's the point of having a ton of channels that are carrying content that's available on demand?

My only guess, and it's only a guess. Is that comcast gets $$ for HBO/Showtime subscriptions, and a lot of the stuff on these channels are free on demand

Isn't that basically what I just said? There's no reason to carry HBO 3 Extreme HD when all of the movies shown on that channel are available on demand.

My point is that as the Carrier(not the consumer)...you try and trick people into signing up for the premium packages...

The subscribers still need to subscribe to the premium packages in order to get the on demand content. So it's really better for the carriers to offer fewer linear channels and more on demand.

Makes no sense why that game was shown when the Wings game was listed... Maybe Red Wings head office said something about competition with the FSN feed?

I'm guessing either one of three things, in order of possibility:

1) Due to the new HD automation system, there was some kind of issue.

2) Rights issue. Although it's never been a problem in the past, maybe HD is different? I hope I'm dead wrong about this. ('Red Wings head office' can say what ever they want and it wouldn't matter, it's a contractual issue, and with FSN Detroit, not the Red Wings.)

3) Maybe the new system isn't compatible with what CBC could previously do in this respect? I hope I'm dead wrong about this, too.

They need more bandwidth to add more digital tier HD channels, to keep up with the Jones's (DBS, Fiber, IPTV), and it has to come from somewhere. As noted, much of the Premium content is now available On Demand, and the amount will only increase as time goes on. Also as you said perhaps the number of subscribers doesn't support the number of HD channels, but I think this is a secondary consideration.

Also as noted, to get access to Premium On Demand, you must be a subscriber, so the revenue is identical with or without the number of Premium HD channels they have now.

Bottom line is that Comcast is already doing this in a number of other areas, and we can expect it too. I hope they do it soon and add more HD soon. Like in January.

Well we already know we're getting more HD in January. Hopefully we get even more soon.

thinking outloud bandwidth issue...

why not eliminate all SD channels where there is an HD version, no reason to keep ESPN SD (35)...just have everyone tune into ESPN HD (202) and if you don't have a hi-def set, you'd have the down rez'd picture..this of course is assuming that you can get these type of boxes to consumers.


I would think this would open up a TON of bandwidth by eliminating all this 'duplication'

Every single SD cable box and DTA would have to be replaced. That is a lot of equipment that would need to be replaced.

This is true, and every provider (aside from IPTV) faces this same issue. But it has to start eventually.

Comcast Detroit Area Update:

New HD on 12/20/11:
Sprout HD
Oxygen HD
Bloomberg HD

Earlier than the billing statement said back in November.

Just need CBET and Fox Soccer HD and I will finally be happy

Did we ever find out what happened to the Wings game on the weekend and why it wasn't on CBET?

Also, any word yet on WPXD? Only another 16 days left in the month...

Nope, only what Marc said at DHC, that it wasn't an automation issue. That would leave a rights issue, incompatibility, or maybe just a simple mistake.


Nope, but as soon as I hear I post here and at DHC.